April Fools’ Day is coming up.  Typically a day for practical jokes, employers need to make sure employees abide by company policies and do not cross any lines.

Being able to joke around with coworkers may be an important part of office culture and can boost morale and camaraderie.  When employees enjoy their coworkers’ company, they enjoy coming to work.  But no one wants to be humiliated, and you do not want people to feel uncomfortable or embarrassed.  That is not only bad for morale, but it can also lead to harassment complaints.

Not everyone has the same sense of humor.  One person’s harmless practical joke could be seen as harassment by someone else.  Even if a prankster and the intended target think a prank is funny, others who observe it may take offense and could file second-hand harassment complaints.  Remember what you learned in HEC’s training!  Harassment is viewed from the victim’s perspective and it is not a defense that the harasser did not intend any harm.

Here are some tips to remember on April Fools’ Day (and any other day):

• Be sure employees are familiar with your company’s policies about harassment.
• An absolute ban on jokes is not necessary, but be sure employees avoid jokes involving protected classes, such as gender, religion, or ethnicity. Of course, steer clear of anything sexual.
• Stay away from slapstick comedy. Any prank that involves physical touch should be avoided.  And certainly, pranks should not injure anyone or anything. 
• If you receive a complaint of harassment on April Fools’ Day, follow your company’s policies and deal with it as if the incident occurred on any other day.

People want to enjoy their time at work, but we are living in a new, increasingly litigious era when it comes to harassment.  If you have not already attended HEC’s Fundamentals of Supervision Series (or if you want a refresher), you can register for upcoming sessions here.